Chapter Text
Hannibal frowned, he hated this situation when watching operas. A perfect opera was ruined by a flutist, which was torture for Hannibal. This also made Hannibal lock in the next meat category provider, although this may prevent Hannibal from attending the opera for a while.
As expected, after Hannibal killed the bad flutist, the opera orchestra immediately recruited a new flutist. This time Hannibal hoped that the orchestra could carefully select outstanding talents. After all, watching an opera with uneven music is torture for Hannibal.
A month later, Hannibal finally received the good news. An advertisement in the newspaper showed that the opera orchestra had found a new flutist. Hannibal immediately ordered tickets and enjoyed the opera with anticipation.
The performance again after a break will definitely attract a large audience. The full capacity of the opera house is enough to prove its popularity.
Hannibal sat in the front row seat he had ordered, sitting with his ‘friends’ who were enjoying the opera together.
The opera officially began, and Hannibal noticed that the new flutist was a young man. Too young, younger than all the orchestra members present. Hannibal began to worry that the young flutist would follow the same path as the old flutist.
Surprisingly, the new flutist plays very well. He can even play a solo to match the singer's singing, as usually, only the concertmaster or lead player can have the opportunity to solo.
From an unknown moment, Hannibal couldn't take his eyes off this new flutist.
The opera officially ended. Hannibal did not applaud at the end of the performance like before. He was still tasting about the performance of this new flutist.
The party after the opera is the best opportunity to get to know the members of the opera orchestra. Of course, Hannibal waited for this opportunity.
Hannibal saw the conductor and concertmaster introducing the new flutist to the audience. It seemed that this flutist had an unusual background.
When Hannibal was talking to Mrs. Komeda, he saw the new flutist and he also looked in the direction of Hannibal. After saying a few words to the concertmaster, he walked towards Hannibal.
But this new flutist's target isn't Hannibal.
“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Komeda?”
“Oh my god. Are you Will?” Mrs. Komeda hugged Will. “How long has it been since we last met?”
“Ten years,” Will said.
“Yes, ten years. I still remember that I was taller than you at that time. Look, you are not only taller than me now, but also much more handsome.” Mrs. Komeda treats Will like a son whom he has not seen for a long time.
“Mrs. Komeda, who is the new flutist?” Hannibal also wants to meet Will.
“This is Will Graham, a boy with a weird personality.” Mrs. Komeda introduced. “Then this is Dr. Hannibal Lecter, he is my friend.”
“Nice to meet you.” Hannibal's polite handshake was responded to by Will.
“Mrs. Komeda, my personality is not weird.” Will protested.
“How can it not be weird? I still remember that ten years ago you suddenly said you wanted to be a fisherman. At that time, you didn't even go to high school and ran away. I remember I didn't know where you ran away.” Mrs. Komeda complained.
“Norway.” The person who answered Mrs. Komeda was Mr. Blacher, the concertmaster who suddenly appeared. “My student suddenly said he would no longer play instruments, and then went to Norway to become a fisherman. At that time, I almost had a heart attack from anger.”
“Don't be so angry, Mr. Bleacher. See, I'm back now?” Will tried to calm Mr. Bleacher's emotions.
“Don't try to cover it, Will. At that time, my husband specially reserved a place for you in the orchestra.” Mrs. Komeda said.
“That's right. I cried for a long time at that time.” Mr. Komeda, the conductor of the orchestra, also came over and joined the conversation. “My dear, how was the performance tonight?”
“Excellent as always.” Mrs. Komeda has always appreciated her husband's dedicated performance.
“It seems that now you have to explain carefully why you suddenly abandoned us three old people.” Mrs. Komeda wanted to know the reason.
Will had no immediate answer.
Although Will tried to keep smiling and calm, Hannibal did not ignore Will's reaction. Hannibal heard Will's heartbeat speed up and his breathing deepen and speed up. He also saw Will's pupils dilate and his eyes widen.
It seems that Will is deeply afraid of something that happened ten years ago.
“Teenagers are usually impressionable. Maybe Will watched some documentaries and decided to become a fisherman. Right, Will?” Hannibal decided to rescue Will.
“...That's right.” Will was surprised by Hannibal's rescue.
“I knew I shouldn't have bought that kind of TV channel for you.” Bleacher was blaming himself.
“Okay, okay, now that Will is back, it's time to celebrate.” Mrs. Komeda brought the atmosphere to a happy side.
After interacting with the audience, the party finally ended and the crowd began to disperse.
Hannibal also planned to go home, but someone found him at this time. “Dr. Lecter.” Will found Hannibal again before he left.
“Will, what's the matter?” Hannibal looked at Will.
"No. I just wanted to say, thank you.”
“Thank you? About what?”
“Mrs. Komeda just questioned me about leaving ten years ago.” When Will spoke about what happened ten years ago again, he trembled again.
Of course, Hannibal noticed Will's reaction again, and he decided to do a little thing for Will. Hannibal took a card from the business card box and handed it to Will.
“This is…” Will took the business card.
“I'm a psychiatrist. If you need it, you can come to me.”
Will looked at the business card blankly. “Thank you. I will consider it.”
Hannibal watched Will leave. It was not that he had never met someone in need of psychological help. It was just Will's beauty in playing that could not make Hannibal stand idly by.
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At 08:45 in the morning, there are still 15 minutes left before the first patient is to be seen. Hannibal is already prepared in the clinic, whether it is medical records or documents.
Hannibal heard a sound in the waiting room, and someone was pacing. Although the sound was small, it could not escape Hannibal's ears.
Hannibal opened the door to the waiting room and the beautiful flutist appeared in front of him.
“Good morning, Will.”
Will was about to knock on the door, but he accidentally knocked on Hannibal's chest. “I'm so sorry, Dr. Lecter, I didn't mean to.”
“It doesn't matter.”
“I know you should have a patient soon, maybe I need to make an appointment early, right? Because you have a patient, this will affect you and even other people.” Will's words were unorganized. Hannibal could even tell that Will was very nervous.
“I suggest you come in and talk.” Hannibal asked Will to enter the consultation room.
After Will entered the consultation room, he was still nervous. “Actually, maybe I should leave. You will have patients later.”
“Will, please sit down.” Hannibal pushed Will onto the seat.
“I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come over.”
“Never apologize for coming to me.” After Hannibal settled Will, he made a cup of hot tea for Will.
Will took the hot tea and took a sip. “This tastes very good.” It was indeed very good, so good that Will's nervousness dropped.
“Lady Grey, This is a variation of Earl Grey.” Hannibal sat across from Will. “So what exactly happened ten years ago? “
Will's hands began to tremble. He knew Hannibal would understand why he came here, but he didn't expect Hannibal to ask so directly. “I...ten years ago...I…” Will still couldn't say it.
“Maybe we don't need to talk about ten years ago, let's talk about now. How was your past week?”
“It's not bad, I moved to a new apartment.”
“Moving to a new apartment? How about the old one?”
“Sold it.” Will trembled again, but this time it was slightly. If Hannibal hadn't had extraordinary observation skills, he might not have been able to detect it.
“What about the opera orchestra?”
“They are all very nice. Everyone treats me very well. Although I am much younger than them, they don't treat me differently because of it. We are like a family.” Will really likes the opera orchestra.
“That's good.” Hannibal gives a smile to Will.
The smile succeeded in making Will feel reassured, but Will knew he couldn't sit here for long.
“Thank you for the tea, Dr. Lecter. But I believe it would be unfair to your patients if I still stayed here.” Will was about to leave. “Also, could you please send me the bill for this consultation? I will pay.” Will took a piece of paper, filled in the address on it, and handed it to Hannibal.
Hannibal wanted to refuse. He had never thought of charging any fee to this beautiful flutist. But Hannibal thought for a while and took the paper from Will. “Let me state in advance that my fee is not something normal people can afford.”
“I am very confident that I am not a normal people.”
Hannibal led Will out of the other door. “See you next time, Will.”
“See you.” Will left Hannibal's clinic. Now his mood was slightly different from before entering the clinic, and Will felt a little relaxed.
Hannibal watched Will leave, closed the door, and walked to the waiting room to see another patient. “Mr. Froideveaux, you can come in.”
At exactly 9 o'clock, Franklyn walked into the consultation room.
“I thought I was the first patient.” Franklyn definitely heard someone come earlier than him.
“Indeed you are.”
“But I just heard another male voice.”
“He...is not my patient.”
“So who is he?”
Franklyn's question aroused Hannibal's wariness, and he didn't want Franklyn to try to enter his private life.
“Mr. Froideveaux, you should tell your story.” Hannibal's good mood due to Will's arrival was now ruined by the rudeness.
TBC